Bafana Bafana’s opponents for the Group stages of the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations have been revealed following the official draw on Thursday.
The draw was held in Abidjan and hosted by global music star, AKON with Didier Drogba, Mikel Obi, Sadio Mane and Achraf Hakimi as the draw assistants.
This is South Africa’s 12th appearance at the biggest football tournament in the continent. They won it once as the host nation in 1996.
WHICH NATIONS ARE IN THE SAME GROUP AS BAFANA BAFANA?
South Africa have been drawn in Group E alongside neighbours Namibia led by Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile, Mali as well as Tunisia.
This will be the fourth Afcon appearance for the Namibian national team.
REST OF THE AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS DRAW
Group A
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Group B
Egypt
Ghana
Cape Verde
Mozambique
Group C
Senegal
Cameroon
Guinea
The Gambia
Group D
Algeria
Burkina Faso
Mauritania
Angola
Group E
Tunisia
Mali
South Africa
Namibia
Group F
Morocco
Congo DR
Zambia
Tanzania
HOW THE DRAW WORKED
The seeding for the draw was also based on the latest FIFA Rankings and Bafana Bafana were seeded in pot three.
The Afcon, which is the 34th edition will take place in Ivory Coast from 13 January to 11 February 2024. It is also the second time that the West African nation has hosted the tournament after hosting it for the first time in 1984.
The tournament was moved to 2024 over weather concerns in the country. It was initially scheduled to be played between June and July 2023. But CAF President Patrice Motsepe insisted they would not take a risk.
The country was originally awarded the right to host Afcon 2021. But it was later pushed to 2023 following Cameroon hosting the 2021 edition.
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